Yoandy-Leal
The big fuss occurred at the end of Game 4 of the 2017/18 Superliga playoff semifinals between the home side Taubaté and Cruzeiro. The players from the visiting team, especially Yoandy Leal, were physically attacked by Taubaté supporters.
Cruzeiro issued an official note, condemning the unsportsmanlike behavior of the rival’s fans, explaining their player Leal did nothing to trigger them to assault him.
“Sada Cruzeiro board of directors deeply regret the scenes of aggression toward their players after a 3-0 win over EMS Taubaté Funvic on Tuesday night and makes it clear that, at no point, Leal made an obscene gesture on the court,” Superliga titleholders published.
“In order to respond to the complaints of the rival’s players at the end of the match, the player made a 3 to 0 sign with the hands, showing that the game was over. The gesture representing number three is absolutely normal. The club repeats that the player Leal had no intention of making an obscene gesture. There were provocations on both sides on the court, a red-hot atmosphere in a highly disputed semifinal. Making these accusations is a clear attempt to harm the player and Sada Cruzeiro,” they emphasized.
Cruzeiro added that the situation after the match was very serious because Leal was physically assaulted while heading toward the locker room when one of the fans hit the player with an object, while a few more staff members of Cruzeiro were also hit. An athletic trainer even had to be taken care medically.
“It is necessary that those responsible get punished and the security structure reconsidered both for the fans and for the players, who are only doing their job,” Cruzeiro concluded.
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